It's been too long
by NALEY23alwaysforever
Summary: NALEY ONE SHOT Nathan and Haley meet up after college. They've kept I touch, but haven't seen each other. What happens when harboured feelings are revealed? Will both parties feel the same way?


She was sitting on the concrete slab they called a bench, attached to the square of plastic grass. Her 'dirty blonde' hair swooning in the wind and she kept her head down.

She had a plan.

Read her book, act like she was totally calm on the outside, all the while freaking out on inside.

Her plan sucked.

She couldn't focus on her book.

She couldn't help thinking she was sweating. And not just the normal light sweat you get from sitting in a sunny spot like she was.

it was the kind of amount of sweat you get from running for 20 kilometres. She knew it wasn't really but she couldn't stop her mind from thinking it.

She knew it was just nerves. But she couldn't help but pull her shirt down and away from her skin, fanning herself in the process.

She knew she didn't need to be nervous. It was just a boy. A boy she hadn't seen in 6 years but still. It was just two friends catching up. Wasn't it?

They had been emailing since they graduated. He was old school, didn't like facebook or all the new social media they had out, and she wasn't bothered with it. So email suited them.

Her mind had been going in circles ever since he had written her saying he would "love to catch up. It's been too long."

She wanted to. But was it really just a catch up? Her stomach had been in knots for weeks as they repeatedly tried to find a day and time that worked.

And that's how she got here. Wednesday. 9:50 am. He was supposed to be there 5 minutes ago.

She couldn't help but try to slyly look up and around her, just in case he was early. Her sunglasses perfectly hiding her wandering eyes as she scopes out the people around her.

She couldn't see him.

She was starting to lose hope. Maybe he was playing her. Maybe this was his way of telling her he wanted her to leave him alone. Maybe he had an accident on the way. Her mind was playing the worst possible scenarios. And suddenly her phone buzzed.

And that's where she saw his name. He was probably calling to cancel

"Hello?" She answered, trying her best not to sound disheartened.

"Hales?" He said in that way that made her heart swoon. "Are you here? I can't see you."

"I'm sitting across from the cafe, on the stairs of the dock." She replied. Her heart was racing.

He came. He really came. She was beaming.

"Wait. I already walked past there. How didn't I see you?" He replied over the phone, and she hear through the phone his heavy footsteps pick up their pace, as if he was running towards her.

"I see you" she almost yelled into her phone, as his silhouette came barreling toward her. "Slow down, I'll see you soon" she replied cheekily, hearing him wholeheartedly laugh before she hung up.

She looked away from his still far away figure, bending down to reach in her bag and quickly spray herself with deodorant, placing her book back in her bag, she stood up and turned around.

And that's when she saw him. Right in front of her. He was really there.

She smiles brightly as he enveloped her in a giant bear hug, squealing as he lifted her off the ground and spun her around.

5 years was too long.

"I've missed you so much hales." He whispered in her ear as he placed her back on the ground, not letting go of her just yet.

"I've missed you too nathan." She said as her head rested on his chest.

They were both content as they were.

Haley was the first to pull back, to both their dismays. "So" she started as they sat down at their old bench on the pier "how have you been? How is wilmington, basketball, your mum?" She asked.

He had moved away to play basketball for college, choosing wilmington, as duke had a partnership with one of the colleges there, so he could be sent videos of each of his lessons when he wasn't there, and could get help from teachers in wilmington, and he could be closer to his mum, who had found out she had stage 3 cancer.

"It's been good." He said, he had missed her so much. Her smile always took his breath away. "I like wilmington, it's no tree hill though. Basketball is good. Clay got me a deal with the Charlotte Bobcats, so I'll still be with mum, especially now that she's finally getting better." He replied.

She smiled happily and embraced him once again "that's amazing nathan! You finally got your dream! And tell your mum I'm glad she's doing better."

"You always did have such a good heart Haley James. You were always there for me. I'm glad we got to see each other again."

"Me too Nate." She said looking into his eyes. She could still feel that spark between them, the one she had been too chicken to act on in the past.

"And how is the best tutor in all of North Carolina?" He said, the trademark Scott smirk gracing his lips. "How's teaching? How's the love life? And all our friends? I heard my knucklehead brother finally ended the love triangle?" He joked, trying to hide the love life question.

He had no right to ask that. She wasn't his, no matter how he wanted that.

Haley laughed "yes he did! I'm happy for him and peyton, and even though Brooke always knew he was going to pick Peyton, she finally feels free to move on. She's got a new guy, Julian. He's a director in LA." She said, and he could see in her eyes she was genuinely happy for her friends.

"I'm still single. Between wrestling high school students all day and helping Quinn and Clay with Logan, Maddie and Lydia my life's been pretty busy." She said, trying to emphasise the word single.

He laughed at that, trying to hide the elation on his face from finding out she wasn't dating anyone. This was his chance.

"Yeah, Logan and Maddie are such trouble makers. And they use their powers for evil unfortunately. Lydia's only 2 and they're teaching her curse words and getting her to fetch them things now she's started walking!" Nathan replied.

And that's how they sat for 4 hours. They had years to catch up on. And even though they had been in contact over social media, it wasn't the same. They were best friends, they still needed the other to be in their lives physically.

By now it was getting dark, and neither of them noticed until haley's phone started to ring. She sighed looking at the screen before answering.

"What'd the little monsters do now?" Haley said, nathan realising it was Quinn whispered to her "tell her I said hi."

"Nothing. You and Nathan however did." Quinn replied.

Haley turned her phone to loudspeaker then,

"And what did Nathan and I do that's got us on your bad side?" Haley inquired.

"You were meeting us here for dinner." She replied vaguely.

"Yeah...?" Haley and Nathan were both lost.

"AN HOUR AGO." Quinn said, slightly annoyed.

"Oh." Nathan spoke for the first time, trying to hide his laughter at how engrossed him and haley had become in their conversation.

Luckily Quinn was planning to order in, since she had been too busy that day to buy groceries, so Nathan and Haley - after 10 minutes of apologising - agreed that they would be there in half an hour.

They both stood up, nathan walking to the car park and haley planning to continue walking up the bus stop, and said their "see you soon" but neither wanted to leave. Neither walked away.

They knew it was silly since they would see each other in five minutes when they reached Quinn and Clay's house, but they just couldn't move.

"Hales? Does it sound weird saying I don't want to leave you?" Nathan asked shyly.

"No. Especially since I'm feeling the same way." She replied

Nathan saw his chance.

He gently moved in towards her, leaning down as she went up on her tip toes, their lips meeting in a tender embrace.

They didn't rush. Both savoured the moment, taking in the experience they had dreamt about for years.

They both let go when air became an issue.

Taking a deep breath nathan started "I've wanted to do that for so long."

"Me too." She replied "you have no idea how long I've wanted this for Nathan."

"Yes I do." He said entwining their hands "I've wanted it for just as long."

They both smiled and quickly kissed once again.

"how about we continue this after dinner? We can talk more then as well." She suffered, not wanting their night to end.

"Ok. But There's just one thing I need to know now." Nathan said as he began to fiddle nervously "this is the start of something between us right?" He couldn't bear the thought of this being just one night.

"As long as you'll have me." Haley said cheekily, and with that he scooped her up in his arm and twirled her around, her laughter and squeals making his heart flutter.

He set her back down gently and gave her one more kiss. "I don't know if I can wait 'till after dinner to do that"

"Well ten we better hurry up and get there so we can finish sooner" Haley replied, as they both walked to his car, hand in hand.

And both knew, this was just the beginning of something special.

**A/N: okay guys I know the endings not the great but I couldn't think of a better one!**

**This story is actually kind of something that happened to me. I met up with a guy I used to go to school with. We hadn't seen each other for 5 years, but we'd been emailing and he'd suggested meeting up. Let's just say our meeting was slightly more platonic then I hoped. BUT I did get inspiration for this from that so I guess there's the silver lining :)**

**For anyone reading my story for better or for worse I promise it's getting updated within the next few days. I'm just having a bit of trouble writing it since my mum keeps taking my iPad and I haven't got anything else to write on!**

**- Maddie :)**


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